The digital beast has arrived, and it is eating recruiters like foodies ferociously eat edamame while waiting for sushi.  Only the best recruiters have discovered the importance of two-way communications and long-term relationships. Just filling an open req may keep you in your job today, but it is not going to get you that promotion or next job or even next client. What differentiates you from the guy in the cubicle next to you or the woman in her basement starting her own company? It is you – your experiences, personality, persistence, network, knowledge and, oh, so much more. After all, clients and candidates will only ask for you by name if they feel like they know you and trust you.

Think of it this way. You reach out to a candidate via email. The first thing that candidate does is Google you to see if you and your company are legit. If that candidate can’t find you with a simple Google search, that person may not even dignify your email with a “no thank you” response. A high caliber candidate wants to know that you know something about him or her, and that you aren’t just sending spam to any warm body you find. Plus, if you are seeking talent in upper management or the C-suite, that candidate is going to want to know that you are good at what you do and not just some middle person doing the dirty work of the “real” recruiter.

So, even if you aren’t sold on Facebook or managing your own page/profile, you can still establish the brand of you. Start simple and small with a Google Profile or Google+ . Create a blog on blogger.com or tumblr.com that is about your industry, recruiting, or your company. For those of you who hate writing long posts, find yourself a Twitter handle and send out some easy peasy 140-character tweets. You could also head to YouTube; with a simple WebCam, you can talk your way into more clients and more candidates.

Just keep it straightforward with consistent naming conventions. Yes, use your full name or the same handle for all your profiles, and use the same photo with each of them so people can always tell when they find one of your official online profiles. Just a few simple steps, and you are on your way to becoming a high-profile recruiter.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Your alarm goes off at 7 a.m., and your personal bot removes you from your bed, super scrubs your skin, slips on your socks (no need for shoes), flosses your teeth, makes your synthetic protein shake, puts you in your moving recliner, and programs your entire life.  Well . . . at least in the world of the creative geniuses at Pixar who created Wall-e. While we may not quite be there, yet, we are definitely heading to a technology-enabled mobile world where desktop computers, TV remotes, GPS devices, cell phones, e-readers, credit cards, portable gaming systems, and who knows what else will be on our e-device.

Indeed, mobile is taking off. Today, there are 91.4 million mobile internet users in the United States and this will jump to 132.5 million—a whopping 41.5 percent of the U.S. population—by 2015, according to eMarketer.  And of those folks who are already connected via a Smartphone, they are ϋber-connected, with 89 percent using their device throughout the day according to The Mobile Movement study by Microsoft.

 So what are all these Smartphone users doing online? When they connect, 77 percent are using a search engine and 65 percent are social networking. Tablet users do even more. According to Nielsen’s Q1 2011 Mobile Connected Device Report, 77 percent of tablet users now use the device for tasks for which they formally used their laptop or desktop computers. And it’s no surprise why. People are using these mobile devices because they help us with our daily lives. For example, you can now watch a TV show while talking to your spouse and ordering dinner. Still think we aren’t going mobile before 2020? Think again.

Our connected world is forcing companies to go where the people are and speak to them in short, yet engaging snippets of content in the form of video, tweets, text messages, games, status updates, and oh so much more. However, even though human resources departments are optimistic about social media and mobile, they are late adopters of technology, social media, and mobile computing. According to Econsultancy’s “Social Media and Online PR Report 2010,” 74 percent of companies have no integration with social media within their human resource departments and only a measly 2 percent are well integrated. And since mobile technologies normally require information technology support that social media does not, I expect human resources to be a laggard in the mobile movement, as well.

Even so, this lack of technology isn’t stopping talent from researching employers, connecting with brands, and searching for jobs. In fact, CareerBuilder has seen more than a 270 percent increase in page views on its mobile website, Android app, and iPhone app from March 2010 to March 2011.

Plus, there are a handful of techno-savvy human resources departments leading the pack for the mobile recruitment revolution. Here is a smidgen with mobile apps to get you thinking. (And if you know of others, please post them with their links.)

• PepsiCo Possibilities: mobile recruitment application for Android, iPhone, and iPad
• AT&T Jobs: mobile job search app for the iPhone
• Hyatt Careers: Android app for searching and sharing jobs
• CTCA Jobs: The Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Android app for searching and applying to jobs

And if you don’t want to create an app, don’t.  Just optimize your current web site so it is mobile friendly. Does that mean you just put the same content up there to fit the screen? No. Make it as simple as possible for people to take action – yes, that does mean you shouldn’t make them scroll (at least on the home page). Give them exactly what they need so they can read it and take action. Here are some of the companies that already embraced the mobile job seeker:

• Sodexo
• MTV Networks Careers
• Fidelity Careers
• Six Flags Career Portal
• Careers @ McDonald’s

Recruiting is marketing, and human resources needs to partner with marketing and technology, and get on board with the new communications revolution – short and sweet, where talent wants it, how talent wants it, and when talent wants it. To truly find the best people, human resources is going to have to hunt down the right candidates and capture them with content. Be the mobile bot that feeds them what they need and entices them to join your team – and start today.